The Socialist Left Party (Sosialistisk Venstreparti or SV), is a Norwegian political party founded in 1975. It currently holds 23 out of 165 seats in the Norwegian Parliament. Kristin Halvorsen is the current leader, and she has been so since 1997.
History
Sosialistisk Venstreparti (abbreviated SV) is the descendant of Sosialistisk Folkeparti (Socialist People's Party, abbreviated SF), which was founded in 1961. In 1961, Det Norske Arbeiderparti was split between those who supported an America-friendly Norwegian policy during the cold war, and those who wanted a neutral policy. The supporters of a neutral policy left the party to form SF. SF held seats in Parliament until 1969.
In 1972, SF joined forces with Norges Kommunistiske Parti , unorganized socialists, and eurosceptics from Det Norske Arbeiderparti to form the People's Movement against Norwegian membership in the European Community (which is today the European Union). The Movement was a success, as the Norwegian People voted against membership in the referendum on September 25th 1972. Prior to the Norwegian election of 1973, the same people came together to form Sosialistisk Valgforbund (Socialist Coalition). The coalition got 11.6% of the votes, and won 16 seats in Parliament, in the 1973 election. In April 1974, a conference held in Oslo stated that the coalition should be turned into one party, disbanding the old parties. Finally, during a conference in Trondheim in 1975, Sosialistisk Venstreparti was formed, and Berit Ås was elected Party Leader. The same year, however, the members of Norges Kommunistiske Parti decided not to disband their party after all, and broke cooperation with the rest of SV.
The first years were not successful, as SV fought hard to gain seats in Parliament at all, but during the 1980s, SV's popularity rose. During this decade, SV fought for peace, disarmament, and the removal of unemployment and economic unequality. In the beginning of the 1990s, SV's popularity again declined, even though SV won a major victory in 1994, when the party again fought actively against Norwegian membership in the European Union, and Norwegians again voted against membership in a referendum. Following the election of Kristin Halvorsen as the new Party Leader, however, SV's popularity rose again. SV's main focus became education, and the slogan "Children And Youth First" was coined.
The military action in Kosovo was a controversial issue within SV. Arguing that ethnic cleansing in Kosovo had to be stopped, much of the party leadership, including Kristin Halvorsen, favored NATO's air strikes, but many within the party vehemently opposed such support arguing that violence would only lead to more violence. In most foreign policy issues SV has opposed military action. They were against the attacks on the Taliban in Afghanistan and were very much against the Iraq war and the Norwegian military presence in Iraq after the war.
Today, SV fights for equality (gender equality and economic equality), welfare, environmentalism, more power to the local councils, and free, public education, equal for all (including a free kindergarten/nursery school offer for all). Before the 2005 election, SV's popularity in national polls is rising, and a Government coalition between Det Norske Arbeiderparti and SV seems one realistic option.
The Socialist Left Party is a member of the Nordic Green Left Alliance.
Party leaders
Sosialistisk Ungdom (Socialist Youth) is the youth league of SV.
References
External link
Last updated: 05-07-2005 09:20:57
Last updated: 05-13-2005 07:56:04
